3 Days
by TheSylverBlue
Summary: "I believe that in three days, you two will confess your love for one another." A Nick/Maya Story
1. Bubbles and a Prediction

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Attorney or any of its characters.**_

_A/n: I've recently just started playing the games again and I felt like I had to write this. It's a short Phoenix/Maya story, probably around five chapters at the most. Spoilers for all games I suppose._

_Enjoy._

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><p><strong>3 Days<strong>

**By TheSylverBlue**

**Chapter 1: Bubbles and a Prediction**

"I wonder if I should open it."

A small girl dressed in pink robes sat on the floor in front of the office sofa, staring at the small plastic bottle in her hand with a look of uncertainty. It was one of those mini bubble bottles complete with a stylish bubble wand that Phoenix had bought for her yesterday. She slowly and carefully placed the item on the floor in front of her and gave it a little poke, moving the bottle a few centimeters away. Should she open it? She was really excited but fearful at the same time. From what her cousin Maya told her, blowing bubbles was a magic far beyond that of spirit channeling and one must be careful not to mess with its incredible power. She let out a small sigh and glanced over at the lawyer who hadn't moved from his spot for quite some time now.

They haven't had a single client in the last three weeks. Yesterday went by slow and the three of them didn't really do much except for a bit of grocery shopping but that's it. With no current cases to work on, there wasn't much to do but clean the office and watch TV, which they had been doing for the majority of the week. Hopefully, today would be different. After all, they didn't have much time left.

Phoenix sat quietly at his desk, his eyes glued to the daily newspaper as he waited for his young assistant to return from the general store. She was as perky as ever when he asked her to pick up a few things from the market. As soon as he flashed 15 dollars, she was like _'yes sir!'_, snatched the money and scurried out the door like a super speeding rabbit. No one really knew where she got all her energy from, but that's Maya and he wouldn't want her to change one bit. At least now she was back to her old self, probably much stronger than before.

He felt a sense of relief whenever he saw her cheerful and spirited personality. Ever since the craziness back in February, Maya had become somewhat fragile. She would break down and start blaming herself for the death of her loved ones. But he had been there to comfort her, letting her know that she shouldn't blame herself over something she had no control over. It took some time, but day by day she began to believe his words and that made Phoenix glad.

He tore his eyes away from his reading material and turned to look at the calendar hanging behind him. There were a few circled dates, but one particular date caught his attention. Sadness filled his eyes when he remembered exactly what that day meant. In three days, Maya and Pearl would be on the train for Kurain Village, where Maya is to become the new master. It wasn't really a big deal, right? He could still see them every now and then, but Maya would be far busier than ever with her training and her new role as Master.

Would he still be a big part of her life? Or would she focus more on her village, sweep him aside and forget all about him?

He quickly shook off the depressing thought and returned to his reading. He didn't want to focus on that right now, knowing it would only bring him down. Instead, he'd rather concentrate on other things like good old spring cleaning. Even though he didn't really enjoy the idea of cleaning all that much, it was the only way he could keep himself busy and not think about whatever lies ahead. It was a perfect excuse, for him anyway. He closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip. Whatever he was reading, it wasn't exactly filling up his mind the way he wanted it to. He glanced up at the broken clock hanging on the wall across from him. There was one more thing he had to fix up in the office, and this time he wasn't going to just put it off again.

Pulling the newspaper up closer to his face, he leaned farther back into his chair, bringing both legs to rest lazily on his desk. After a few minutes, he reached for his mug and brought it up to his lips, sipping its contents as he looked over some strange ads that didn't quite make sense. Suddenly the door flew open, startling the man so much that he nearly spilled his coffee.

"I'm back!"

Phoenix set the mug on top of his desk and looked up to see his assistant carrying a small plastic bag in her right hand while striking up one of her 'success' poses. Pearl skipped happily toward her cousin and stared at the bag with curious eyes.

"Is there anything for me, Mystic Maya?" she asked.

Maya shook her head. "No, sorry Pearly, but there wasn't enough money."

"Aww." The small girl returned to where she sat earlier, lowering her head as she walked.

"Poor kid," Maya said, watching her cousin poke the bubble bottle repeatedly until it fell on its side.

"Did you get the things I asked for, Maya?" Phoenix asked as he stood from his chair and sauntered over to her.

"Yup! They're all here!" Maya chirped, smiling brightly at him. She held the bag up to her face and peered inside. "Let's see, we've got-"

"Okay, let's go fix that clock now!" Phoenix quickly interrupted her. Walking over to the small storage closet, he grabbed the step ladder and carried it over to where the clock was hanging. He paused for a moment and scratched his head, turning to Maya after noticing the sudden silence.

"That wasn't very nice, Nick," she spoke.

He flashed a smile at her. "Sorry, I didn't have the _time_ to listen to you. I guess it's important that I fix it."

She giggled at his poor attempt at a joke. "That's so lame, Nick."

"Now if you excuse me, miss. I have to replace some batteries." He rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath.

"Wow, you seem to be really excited over this. This and all the constant cleaning that you do. You must be getting old."

Phoenix rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I am not old. And besides, Mr. Tickin has been dead for almost five months now. Don't you think we should bring him back to life?"

"You should never mess with the dead, Nick. But yeah I guess it's for the best. It's just that Mr. Tickin can get a little annoying at times. At least Charley is as silent as a plant. Isn't that right, Charley?" She glanced over to where Charley was.

"Charley is a plant, Maya."

"No way, really?" Maya gasped as if she just realized the truth.

Phoenix simply looked at her in disbelief. Was she joking or being serious? He could never tell. Not that it mattered anyway. He had a task to complete and he was going to do it now.

He held on to the side handles of the ladder, making sure it was stable before he climbed. Even at this height, Phoenix couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, but compared to running across a flaming bridge, this wasn't all that bad. He placed one hand against the wall to steady himself and called for his assistant.

"Screwdriver." He extended his other hand toward Maya.

She lifted up the bag and searched through its contents, finding exactly what she was looking for. Handing over the small tool, she decided to repeat after him. "Screwdriver."

Phoenix stared at the screw that kept the clock securely attached to the wall._ 'This should be fairly easy.'_ He thought to himself.

Inserting the tip of the screwdriver into the screw, he turned it only to find his hand stopping in place. He grunted and tried turning the tool again using more force this time. But still nothing happened. The screw didn't budge one bit. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he gripped the handle a little harder and tried again.

'_It must be screwed in tighter than I thought.' _Drops of sweat became visible on his face as he pushed the screwdriver in more forcefully, almost as if he were to cut the screw in half.

Maya looked up to see the annoyed expression on his face. _'Looks like Nick's having a little trouble up there. Hmm...'_

"Um, Nick? Maybe you're supposed to be turning it in the other direction if you want to loosen the little guy."

He paused for a moment and stared blankly at the metal tool in his hand before continuing what he was doing. "No, I'm pretty sure this is the right way."

Maya rolled her eyes at him and sighed, muttering the word "guys" before turning to find her young cousin standing by the window with a sort of troubled look. Seeing as Phoenix was taking his sweet time in removing the screws, Maya decided to help Pearl out.

"What's up, Pearly?" Maya asked.

The small spirit medium looked up at her, a small frown visible on her face.

"I-I'm sorry, Mystic Maya. I think I'm a failure."

"What? Now, why would you say that?"

Pearl showed her the bottle. "There must be something wrong with me. I can't blow a bubble." Tears began to form in the little girl's eyes. "I think it's because I didn't train hard enough."

Maya gave her a soft smile. "Training has nothing to do with blowing bubbles, Pearly."

"Really?" She sniffed.

Maya nodded. "Here, I'll show you how it's done."

Pearl handed the bottle along with the bubble wand over to Maya.

"You were probably blowing a little too hard and that's why you couldn't form a bubble." Maya took the wand and dipped it a couple of times in the soapy water. "You have to blow real gentle to get a perfect bubble. Like this."

She held the bubble wand to her lips and softly blew into it, forming a long train of mini bubbles. Soon the room was filled with them.

Pearl gasped, "Mystic Maya, you're incredible! Look at all the bubbles!"

"Here, now you try." Maya gave the bottle back to Pearl. "And remember… slow and gentle if you want some good-looking bubbles or else they'll pop right away."

"Okay." Pearl did exactly what Maya told her to do. It was a complete success. "I did it! I blew one! Did you see that, Mystic Maya?"

Maya nodded cheerfully. "That was great Pearly! You'll be a professional bubble blower in no time."

Suddenly there was the sound of something small and metal hitting the floor, followed by Phoenix's loud voice.

"Ah ha! Take that, you stupid screw!" he shouted triumphantly.

Maya turned at the sound of his voice and dashed over to him. "Finally, man! That took you forever!"

He spoke in a delighted tone, "Yeah, well that screw was in tighter than you think! I had to use all of my awesome strength just to get it to budge." It was a lie really. Maya had been right about him turning it in the wrong direction, but heck he wasn't going to let her know that. It would only hurt his pride.

'_Back to work.'_ Phoenix thought to himself as he removed the old batteries and dropped them into Maya's hand. Now there was one more thing he needed before the clock can function again. "I need the new batteries, Maya. And don't mix them up with the old ones."

"Right away, sir!" She saluted him before placing the new batteries in his open hand. "And they're fresh too."

He began to insert the batteries, but cursed to himself the minute he realized he had been putting the batteries in the wrong way.

Maya looked behind her to see Pearl blowing several bubbles at the two of them. "Having fun, Pearly?"

Pearl nodded happily. "The bubbles make everything look so romantic, don't they, Mystic Maya?"

Maya smiled at her young cousin.

"We've got ticking!" Phoenix exclaimed. He tightened the screws back to their original place, feeling proud of himself as he looked at the finished work. That was another job well done for the great Phoenix Wright. He nodded, patting himself on the back.

"Yay! Mr. Tickin is alive!" Pearl blew more bubbles in celebration.

Phoenix made his way down the ladder, handing the screwdriver over to Maya as he descended down the steps. He then felt a stinging pain in his right eye as soon as his feet hit the floor.

"Ack!" He began to lightly rub his eye with the back of his hand.

"You okay, Nick?" Maya asked unsure of what happened.

"Yeah, it's just… a bubble sort of flew into my eye and now it… kinda hurts."

"Aww… well, I guess you have Pearly to blame for that."

Phoenix blinked a couple of times and turned to look over at Pearl who was humming happily to herself as she continued to blow gentle bubbles everywhere.

"Here Nick, I'll go put away the ladder for you," Maya said, taking hold of the object.

"It's a step ladder," he corrected her.

"Whatever." She smiled at him before dragging it away and placing it back into the storage closet.

Phoenix suddenly felt someone tugging at his shirt. He looked down to see an overly excited Pearl.

"Hey, Pearls."

"Mr. Nick! Look at what I can do!" She took in a breath of air and slowly blew into the wand, creating one giant soapy bubble. It floated for a couple of seconds before it popped into tiny droplets.

He squatted down to her level, placing both his arms on his knees. "Those are some great bubble blowing techniques you've got."

"Ah, you really think so, Mr. Nick?" Pearl was enchanted. She delightfully offered him the bottle. "I bet you can blow beautiful bubbles too."

He quickly waved his hand and shook his head. "No thanks, Pearls. Bubble blowing really isn't my thing."

"That's okay, Mr. Nick. After all you need to be strong and manly for Mystic Maya."

He chuckled lightly at her. There was just no way to convince the young girl that he and Maya were just friends and nothing more…

'_Just_ _friends_.' He thought.

"Okay!" Maya returned with a big smile. "Since we're all done here, I say it's time we have some fun for today!"

Phoenix smirked, rubbing the back of his neck in a sly manner. "I don't know, Maya. I'm kinda getting the urge to clean the toilet right now."

Maya stuck out her lower lip. "What? You just cleaned the toilet two hours ago!"

"No, I didn't," he answered simply.

Pearl began to jump up and down, immediately interrupting the two.

"Oh, I just remembered!" She put on a dreamy look. "I had the most wonderful dream last night and the two of you were in it."

Phoenix moved his gaze elsewhere, running a nervous hand through his spiky hair. "I… really… don't wanna know."

"What was it about? Oh, let me guess! I beat Nick at a burger eating contest, right?" Maya couldn't help but imagine herself standing on a table and holding up a trophy shaped like a giant burger, with Phoenix face down on his plate.

"No, it was a romantic dream and the both of you kissed. I sure hope it'll come true."

Phoenix softly patted the young one's head. "Dreams are just dreams, Pearls. They don't always come true."

She shook her head. "I'm sure this one will, Mr. Nick. Because I believe that in three days, you two will confess your love for one another."

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><p><em>An: Alrighty then, that's my first chapter. Let me know what you think. :)_


	2. Afternoon Picnic

_A/n: Chapter 2 is up, everyone! I'm so excited for the last Harry Potter movie, I can hardly breathe. _

_Anyway, happy reading!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Afternoon Picnic<strong>

"Just wait! In three days, you two will realize how much you really love each other." Pearl put on another one of her dreamy looks. "I can just picture that very moment. Oh, the romance!"

Maya felt herself slightly blush at Pearl's words, but managed to quickly shake it off. A slight frown fell upon her face as she looked at her cousin. "Uh… Pearly? Did you forget that in three days, you and I will be heading back home?"

'_Home_.' Maya thought to herself. It was something she had been trying to push to the back of her mind for the last few days, afraid that if she were to think about it, she would feel more sorrow… more hurt. She didn't want to have to feel that again, not anymore.

Pearl stared at the floor as she replied, "I didn't forget." She looked up at Maya. "I'm really sad that we're going back, and I know Mr. Nick will miss us very much, especially you, Mystic Maya."

Phoenix stood there, not having said a single word. Instead, he just listened intently to the small conversation, unsure of where it was going exactly.

Pearl then faced him and quickly continued. "But Mr. Nick can visit anytime he wants, right? Before we leave for the train on Monday, you two will have already kissed and then you'll be married and then live happily ever after!" Pearl squealed with delight.

"Okay, okay. That's enough." Phoenix flinched at how high-pitched her voice was. He shook his head lightly at the small girl. "I'm sorry, Pearls, but I don't think that's gonna happen."

"Why not?" A serious look fell upon the young spirit medium's face, her eyes immediately locking onto his as she silently waited for his answer. It was a bit intimidating really, especially for Phoenix.

"B-because… because…" He found himself stuttering as she continued to stare at him with great intensity. This girl sure can make him feel uncomfortable. He sighed. "Pearls, you really need to understand that Maya and I… we're just fr–"

Before he could finish, Pearl's hand flew across his face, leaving a bright red handprint on the lawyer's cheek. He slowly brought one of his own hands up to rub the stinging pain, his eye and mouth twitching in response. After these few years being with Pearl, he should have expected that already, yet it still caught him by surprise every single time.

"You shouldn't say that in front of Mystic Maya or she'll get upset," she said, her face remaining serious.

He gave her one of his own stern looks. There was no way he was going to let a 9-year-old smack him around. "Pearls, I've already told you –"

'_Smack.' _There it was again. Phoenix received another vicious slap from the small kid. That was twice in one day, not that that was uncommon.

'_Ouch.' _He winced in pain._ 'This kid is too much.'_

"Um…" Maya started nervously. "Okay, moving on. Uh… so, um… Nick, will we be preparing soon?"

"Prepare?" he asked, still rubbing his cheek.

"Yeah. Don't tell me you've changed your mind again?" she said, placing her hands on her hips.

Phoenix was confused. "Prepare for what?"

"Our picnic, silly! We were supposed to go to the park today, remember?" Her eyes glistened wildly as she waited for his response.

Pearl jumped up in excitement. "Yeah, Mr. Nick! You promised."

He had totally forgotten about that. Yesterday, he promised that he'd take Maya and Pearl to the Nature Park down at Gourd Lake for a picnic, so that they could spend more time together. All of this office cleaning must have made him forget. He shouldn't have forgotten about something as important as this.

"Alright, alright. Let's head over to my apartment and pack a few things," Phoenix said as he grabbed his keys.

"Hooray! Picnic!" The two spirit mediums shouted in unison.

Phoenix softly exhaled and glanced at the newly fixed clock. The ticking was barely audible, but he could still hear it. It was like music to his ears. As he stared at it for another few seconds, his brows furrowed. Rolling up his sleeve, he glanced at his watch. _11:32_. Then he glanced back at the clock.

"We'll leave as soon as I adjust the time on this clock."

"Aww…"

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><p>Phoenix's apartment was about 2 blocks away from the Wright and Co. Law Offices. Once they were there, he wasted no time in preparing for their little outing. He quickly packed a few snacks and placed them into a small picnic basket, while Maya grabbed a few outdoor blankets. It didn't take them long before they arrived at their destination.<p>

Gourd Lake was quite busy today. People were happily enjoying themselves, taking relaxing walks, and spending time with their loved ones. In the distance, small kids bustled about merrily and played an exciting game of tag, while their parents stood there taking as much memorable photos as they can. A pair of elderly women sat on a bench nearest to the lake, chatting away like there was no tomorrow.

Phoenix looked over to the main picnic area. Most of the tables were occupied by several large groups of people, all belonging to one entire family. It was likely they were celebrating a birthday, seeing as they were all wearing birthday hats and preparing a large cake with candles. The rest of the tables were taken by a couple of teenagers who were also enjoying their day and laughing hysterically.

The trio walked past the benches and tables toward the grassy areas, searching for the perfect spot where they could set up their picnic.

"How about here?" Maya pointed to a section of the grass underneath a large tree, which provided quite a nice amount of shade. Phoenix nodded.

"Looks good," he said as he prepared the blanket for them to sit on.

Pearl stood in one spot, bouncing her favorite ball a few times without much enthusiasm.

"Hey, Pearly. What happened to your bubbles?" Maya asked, noticing Pearl's sudden lack of interest.

"Oh, um… I left that at Mr. Nick's place. The bubble soap is almost gone."

"Well, you know Nick could just buy you another one. Won't you, Nick?" She turned to Phoenix, who was at the moment paying very little attention to them.

As he continued to spread the cloth out flat and evenly, he quickly answered her, not really knowing what the question was exactly. "Hmm. Oh, uh yeah of course I will!"

Pearl bit lightly on her thumb. "Um, it's okay. I'd rather save this one. It's special."

Maya shrugged. "Okay."

"All finished," Phoenix said, sitting on the blanket as he brought the picnic basket onto his lap.

"Oh, that's good. Now we can eat." Maya sat next to him, licking her lips and eyeing the basket hungrily.

Phoenix stared at her in wonder. "I swear, you are the only person I know who constantly craves for food, Maya."

She laughed. "I guess that makes me unique, huh."

"Unique and very weird," he responded.

She puffed out her cheeks at him. "Hey!"

Pearl watched the two as they started laughing. _'They look so happy.'_ Pearl thought to herself. _'Why can't they admit that they're happy together and in love?'_

In her frustration, the small girl bounced the ball using all her strength, only to have it fly a good distance away.

"Oh no! Come back, ball!" Pearl cried and immediately started after it.

After a few seconds, the pair had finally stopped laughing, letting out a sigh of contentment. Then a heavy silence fell between them. Phoenix looked around awkwardly. He then noticed Pearl was missing.

"W-Where did Pearls go?" he asked, getting a little worried.

"Don't worry. She's just chasing after that ball of hers. She'll be back," Maya answered, lying down on the blanket with her hands supporting her head like a pillow.

He placed the basket down on the spot to his right. "We should wait until she gets back. Or else there won't be anything left." Phoenix chuckled as he sat there and began fidgeting with his red tie.

"Hey, Nick. Do you really have to wear your suit everywhere we go?" she asked, really curious as to what his answer would be.

He stared down at her, giving her a questioning look. "What's so wrong about the suit?"

"Nothing. I like the suit. I just thought that since we're not doing any investigating today, maybe you should wear something more casual. It's not like we'll have a case anytime soon, right?"

He stared straight at the lake ahead of him, thinking about a few distant memories. "Well, you never know what could happen. And plus, I like having people know that I'm –"

"Not many people would know you're a lawyer, Nick." She quickly cut him off and smiled softly.

"Eh, it doesn't matter." He shrugged nonchalantly. "At least people will know that I'm someone important, right?"

"Your logic makes no sense whatsoever." She giggled at him.

"Speak for yourself." He smirked. Once again, he brought the basket onto his lap. "I'm sure Pearls would be back soon. We should at least prepare the sandwiches."

Opening the basket, Phoenix searched through its contents, taking out three homemade sandwiches wrapped in plastic. He began unwrapping one of them, but stopped when he noticed something in the sandwich or actually what wasn't in the sandwich. He started laughing, catching Maya's attention. She sat up and turned to see Phoenix with a sheepish grin.

"What's so funny?" she asked him and then gasped. "Oh my gosh! Have you actually lost your mind?"

"Here, take a look at the sandwiches."

Maya grabbed the sandwich from his hand, taking off the remaining wrappings so she could examine it. There was the two slices of bread, the cheese, the lettuce, the tomatoes, and the mayonnaise... Where was the meat? Placing down what seemed to be an incomplete sandwich, Maya stood up. She smiled down at Phoenix who looked a little embarrassed. After all, he was the one who packed up the sandwiches.

"It's alright, Nick. I'll just go ahead and buy some samurai dogs," she said, pointing to the samurai hotdog stand located in the bench area.

Phoenix nodded and took out his wallet. "Here," he said as he handed her some cash. "That should be enough."

Maya took the money and began to make her way toward the hotdog stand but stopped shortly. "Do you think Larry's still selling samurai dogs? I wonder if he would cut the price in half for us." Her lips curved into a radiant smile.

He lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. "No, he quit… or got fired or whatever. He's an artist now, remember?"

She placed her index finger on her chin. "Oh yeah, I remember." Walking in a march-like manner, she headed over to the bench area. "Samurai dogs coming right up!"

Phoenix sighed and searched around for a small girl in pink. He spotted her heading over to the birthday area, but then lost sight of her near the bushes. Her small size made it difficult for him to keep an eye on her. He stood up, deciding to go and help the kid find her lost toy.

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><p>Pearl was now in the birthday area, still searching desperately for her beloved ball. This had to be the only place left. Where else could it have gone? Looking around, she noticed a faded blue object in the bushes not too far from where she was standing. She hurried over to the bushes and found her ball stuck in between its branches. With a little pull, the ball was free. Pearl hugged it with all her might, afraid that it would vanish from her sights again. She was about to leave and head back to the other two when suddenly she heard loud talking. Curious, she peeked through a small hole in the bushes to see two women, most likely in their early twenties.<p>

"It's so obvious he's in love with her." One woman said as she painted her nails. "Everyone knew that, but he just kept denying the fact."

"And then out of the blue, he falls for her." The other responded. "I mean, he should've realized it earlier. Why now?"

"I'm telling you the guy was jealous! As soon as he saw her with another man, he just waltzed up to her, confessed his feelings, and told her how much he was in _love_ with her."

As Pearl listened, an idea began to formulate in her head. Taking the ball with her, she quickly skipped back to the others, smiling the entire way.

"I'm guessing he wasn't too lucky." The woman continued.

"Of course not! She slapped the guy so hard and shoved him into a pond for interrupting her date."

"That didn't turn out so well."

The other woman shook her head as she continued painting her nails. "Nope."

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><p>Pearl made it back to the picnic spot, only to find Phoenix and Maya gone. Their belongings were still there, but no sign of her cousin and the lawyer. A soft tap on her shoulder caused her to shriek in fear.<p>

"Eeek!"

"Aaaah!" The sudden outcry caused Phoenix to scream as well.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Nick," she said feeling a sense of relief. "I thought something bad happened to you."

"Well, thankfully I'm not deaf," he said, rubbing his hand against his ear. "Looks like you found your ball."

"Yes, I did." She held it up in the air for him to look at. "So when can we eat, Mr. Nick? I'm quite hungry."

"Um, in a bit." He sat down on the blanket and patted the spot next to him. "Why don't you rest awhile?"

Pearl nodded. She looked around, noticing her cousin was still missing. "Where did Mystic Maya go?"

"She's gonna go buy us some hotdogs," he said excitedly, placing the basket in front of him and peering inside. "Do you want some water while we wait, Pearls?"

"No, thank you," Pearl answered. She looked over to where the hotdog stand was and saw Maya having a friendly chat with a young man, probably a little younger than Phoenix. This was Pearl's chance.

Pearl got up and sat directly in front of Phoenix, leaning forward slightly so that she could see his face. "Mr. Nick?"

"Yes, Pearls?" he asked, shuffling through the basket.

"There's something really important that I have to tell you."

"And what's that?"

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Nick." She tried her best to put on her saddest look. "I was wrong."

Phoenix looked at her with a confused look. "Wrong about what?"

"You and Mystic Maya. I guess you two aren't in love after all."

Phoenix smiled. She finally understood about him and Maya. It was about time too. "Well, I'm glad that you finally understand. I mean it's true that I deeply care for Maya, but that doesn't mean that we're in love."

"Yeah, I've realized that maybe you just weren't good enough for her."

"Exactly… wait, what?"

"I mean she seems to be a lot happier with that other man over there." She sighed dreamily. "Isn't it romantic."

Phoenix glanced over to where Pearl was looking at. He saw Maya, along with a blond-haired man wearing a red blazer and a pair of loose-fitting jeans. He and Maya appeared to be having a very interesting conversation and she seemed to be enjoying it. Phoenix didn't move, but the more he watched, the more he wanted to just look away. At that moment, something had ignited in him.

Keeping his gaze fixated on Maya and her little friend, he stood up. "Excuse me, Pearls." As if by instinct, Phoenix began marching toward the pair.

"I'll just wait right here, Mr. Nick." Pearl smiled mischievously.

* * *

><p>"So, you truly believe that this Gourdy exists. Am I right?" The young man asked.<p>

Maya nodded in delight. "Well, of course Gourdy exists! Who says he doesn't?"

"But how can you know for sure?" He eyed her, waiting for her response.

She thought for a while and then answered him.

"Well, how can you know for sure that there are no aliens from outer space? It's not like these guys are going to just happily show themselves to the world. I mean c'mon! The only reason why people don't see these guys is because they're afraid they'll end up as human experiments." Maya felt proud of her answer. "It makes sense, right?"

"Um, I guess. Anyway, thanks for answering my questions. I'm sorry if I took up too much of your time."

"Oh, no. Not at all. I was glad to help." Her face was lighted by a beaming smile. Unbeknownst to Maya, certain footsteps, not too far from them, were treading closer.

"I'm going to need to put you down as a reference." The blond-haired man said as took out a few sheets of paper and a small pen from his pockets. "Could I have your name, please?"

Her face was lighted by a beaming smile. "That would be Maya. Maya Fey. M-A-Y-" She stopped abruptly when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. She turned around to see Phoenix, his hands in his pockets and a strange expression on his face that was quite difficult for her to read.

"Oh hey, Nick!"

"Hey," he simply replied.

The young man also greeted him. "Hello, sir. I was just –"

"Yeah, yeah. I know what you're up to." Phoenix folded his arms across his chest and stared at him. "But you've been wasting a lot of our time and we were supposed to be eating lunch by now."

"O-Oh, I'm really sorry. Um, I didn't mean to be wasting anyone's time, but I'm finished here so I'll just... be going then." He said uneasily before scurrying away.

Maya placed both arms on her hips and glared at Phoenix. "What was that all about, Nick? You scared him off."

"That's a good thing. That guy shouldn't be hitting on you."

Maya couldn't believe what he had just said. Was he actually jealous? Or was he just being overly protective, the way an older brother would. She quickly shook the thought from her head. This was no time for wishful thinking.

"Nick, he was just writing a report about mythological creatures. All he did was ask me a few questions about Gourdy."

There was a long pause.

"Oh." Was all he could say.

Nothing but awkwardness followed as Phoenix and Maya went to buy lunch at the stand. They returned with three small trays of delicious samurai dogs. Pearl, who was lying on her stomach with her chin on her arms, gazed up at them.

"What took you two so long?" Pearl asked.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you know, Pearls." Phoenix eyed her suspiciously.

"I don't know what you mean, Mr. Nick." Pearl smiled innocently. He simply shook his head.

* * *

><p>The day was almost up and everything went perfectly for Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl. Their day at Gourd Lake was something they would remember for a long time, along with all of their other precious memories together. A few people were already packing up and exiting the park, heading back to the real world.<p>

After playing with Maya and Phoenix, Pearl had become exhausted and was fast asleep on Maya's lap. She wasn't the only one who was wiped out, though.

Maya let out a yawn. "Whew! Pearly really knocked me out."

"You? Knocked out?" Phoenix questioned, doubtful that she could ever be exhausted.

"Hey! Some of us _young_ people need to rest too, you know," she explained.

He chuckled softly, lying down flat on his back as he stared at the leaves above him. "Well, you weren't the one to carry her on your back, pretending to be a magnificent pony."

Maya laughed quietly, not wanting to wake her sleeping cousin. A few seconds later, her smile slowly disappeared as her mind drifted elsewhere, specifically to three days from now.

Time had been going by really fast these last few days. There was no way to slow it down or to stop it like that clock that was once broken. Maya glanced sadly at the man beside her. She didn't want to have to leave Phoenix behind. He was the best friend she ever had. But she had to go back. She had to take on her responsibilities as master. However, she was afraid that once she leaves for Kurain, she and Phoenix would drift apart. Her days as master would be busy with very little free time on her hands. And she knew Phoenix probably wouldn't be visiting often, him being a city boy and all.

'_I don't want to have to say goodbye.' _She thought to herself.

"Hello? Earth to Maya?"

Maya snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes focusing on the man in front of her. "H-Huh?"

"Did you hear what I said?" he asked, still waving his hand in front of her.

"Oh, um. What was it you were saying?" she asked, trying to remember exactly what he was saying while she was spaced out.

"I was asking if you wanted to go get some burgers on our way back." He paused a bit, becoming a little worried. "Are you okay? You seem a little out of it."

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things." She smiled reassuringly.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing important. Just some random thoughts that I always get. You don't know how many of those enter my silly little brain," she laughed weakly. "So how about those burgers, huh."

He nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's wake Pearls."

The spirit medium sighed inwardly, and then smiled at the lawyer who in turn smiled back. How could she leave? It felt like she was leaving behind so many wonderful memories, but she needed to go back. Kurain was always a place she had called home, but deep down, Maya believed that whenever _he_ was around, she was already _home_.

* * *

><p><em>An: That's that. End of chapter._

_Thank you to those who have reviewed. And to those who haven't… nah, I'm kidding. But they really are appreciated. ^_^_


	3. Rise of the Steel Samurai

_A/n: Well, I'm glad that you guys are enjoying my little story so far and have gotten a few laughs from it as well. To be honest, this is my first humor/light-hearted story that I ever wrote. My other fics are actually quite dark and depressing._

_And now here's chapter 3 for my wonderful readers!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Rise of the Steel Samurai<strong>

It was Saturday morning and every Saturday morning at 9:00, Maya would sit on a couch, turn on a television, and watch one of her favorite TV shows, the Pink Princess. A new episode of the Pink Princess would air every Saturday, along with an old episode of the Nickel Samurai, whom Maya was no longer much of a fan of due to a certain incident one year ago. Regardless of what happened before, Maya continued to watch a few episodes. There was just no way she would miss out on all the exciting drama.

"Pearly! The Pink Princess is starting! Aren't you going to watch?" Maya asked as she kept her eyes fixated on the TV in front of her.

A small voice answered, "No thank you, Mystic Maya. There are a lot of things I need to think about right now, and they might be more important than the Pink Princess."

"If you say so, Pearly," Maya responded as she waited anxiously for her show to start.

"It's okay. I'll just ask you about it later!" Pearl skipped happily down the hallway and into Phoenix's room, closing the door behind her.

"Okay, this time, Maya, you have to pay attention or you'll be behind again," she told herself. She hadn't exactly been focusing much on any of the episodes in the last 2 weeks. There were many things going through her mind, things she couldn't stop thinking about.

Maya's eyes widened as she heard the TV announcer. "Next, we have a brand new episode of…" The Steel Samurai theme began to play. "…The Pink Princess."

"Yes! I gotta find out about this masked villain."

After about 10 minutes of watching the Pink Princess, the first set of commercials came on. Maya fell back on the couch.

"Commercials suck!" she cried out as she waited impatiently for the commercials to end. "Who would invent commercials anyway?"

Maya loved the Pink Princess. After all, she might have had something to do with its creation. But there was one that she loved the most and that was of course, the Steel Samurai, the ultimate warrior who started it all. On weekdays, they would show reruns of the Steel Samurai, which Maya still watches with a passion every now and then, right before they close up the Wright & Co. Law Offices. In her opinion, the Steel Samurai was the best of all, fighting evil-doers and bringing peace in Neo Olde Tokyo. She had always been a huge fan of him. He was her hero, but lately there's been another hero on her mind... a real hero and not just one from TV.

The commercials began to sound unclear as her eyes moved to look at the framed photo on top of the television. It was a picture that they recently took when they were at Gatewater Land. Phoenix had stopped them at the main gate, pulled out a disposable camera and said, _"Let's take a picture before we leave," _which of course they did. Phoenix made two copies. He kept the original, and the two copies were given to Maya and Pearl. He then said, _"There. That way… we won't forget."_

'_Nick…' _Maya never wanted to forget about him, ever. After Mia's death, the two of them had been looking out for one another and watching each other's back.

Even though there had been a few unfortunate incidents for Maya, there were so many things that she was grateful for and one of them being Phoenix Wright. She had so much respect for him. Truly, Phoenix was a hero to many of his past clients, but more importantly, he was Maya's hero. He's saved her plenty of times, from guilty sentences and the time she was kidnapped. He even saved her from blaming herself for things she believed were her fault. Not to mention the fact that he had tried to cross a burning bridge just to make sure she was safe, which quite devastated her the moment she found out about it from Detective Gumshoe. It was no question that Phoenix would do anything to protect her.

This man was her dearest friend, whom she had secretly grown a huge liking to in the last few years. She told herself once that it was a stupid crush and would go away eventually, but it never did. Instead, her feelings for him grew steadily over time.

What's not to like about him? He was handsome, honest, kind, funny, brave… handsome. But what she really loved most about him was that he would always be there for her.

However, a wave of realization hit her long ago. Phoenix didn't feel the same way. He never would. She was sure of it. He'd probably prefer someone like Iris, though he hadn't really talked with her in the past few weeks, just a couple of short visits every once in a while. Could it be that he was actually over her? Not that that changes anything. He's still the type of guy who would only go for a pretty girl and a nice body.

Maya suddenly felt inferior as she glanced down at her own body. She groaned inwardly as she grabbed the remote and turned up the volume, hoping that her constant thoughts of Phoenix would cease. She watched as the Pink Princess encountered the mysterious masked villain, but Maya could no longer understand what they were saying or what was going on afterward. Her mind once again found its way to the lawyer.

"_I believe that in three days, you two will confess your love for one another,"_ were Pearl's words yesterday. Maya blushed, thinking about what would happen if Pearl's little prediction came true. She shook her head at the thought. That's something that would only happen in her dream, and like what Phoenix said, dreams don't always come true.

A familiar tune interrupted her thoughts. It was the Steel Samurai theme, which usually only played during the opening or ending credits of the episode. That meant…

"Drat! I didn't even get to see who was under that mask. What if it was the evil Warlord of Ancient Valley or General Malice wanting to take his revenge? Or it could have been the Pink Princess's arch-nemesis, Queen Viktora." Maya pouted, folding her arms over her chest. She had practically missed most of the episode, all because she was having thoughts of her best friend, again. Now she won't be able to find out who the mysterious masked villain was.

"What's taking Nick so long anyway?" she asked aloud.

It's been a little over forty minutes since Phoenix left for the office. Maya was beginning to worry. She was a little surprised when he had gotten up early this morning, considering he wasn't much of an early riser during the weekends. Normally, he would sleep until noon with a pillow over his head.

Thinking it was best to check up on him, she decided to call. Just as she was about to reach for her cell phone, the door to the apartment opened and a slightly irritated lawyer stumbled inside.

"Oh, you're back! I was about to call you!" Maya exclaimed. She then noticed he was clutching his right leg as he approached her. "What's wrong with your leg?"

"Some kid slammed into me with his skateboard," he answered her. "I had to limp most of the way back."

"Well, you can't really blame the kid, Nick. You kinda take up the entire sidewalk sometimes." Maya said in a joking manner. Her brows furrowed as she sniffed something terrible. She immediately brought her hand up to cover her nose. "Ew, what's that yucky smell?"

He was about to answer her, but stopped when the phone started ringing.

"Ugh, could you get that for me? I'm gonna be in the bathroom," he said as he removed his shoes. The foul smell was quite strong and made Phoenix want to vomit. "I need to wash these before they stink up the entire apartment."

Maya watched as he made his way toward the bathroom. Once he disappeared, she quickly headed toward the kitchen and picked up the phone.

"Hello! This is Nick's apartment. Maya Fey speaking," she answered into the receiver. She waited for a moment until a familiar voice on the other end spoke, a voice she hadn't heard from in a long time.

"Oh hey, Mr. Edgeworth!" she greeted him. "Am I glad to hear from you! It's been a while. So how have you been? Uh huh, that's pretty neat. Never heard of it actually… Oh Nick? Well, he's sort of busy right now. I think he might've stepped on doggy poop. He won't be too long. Anyway, the funniest thing happened at Gourd Lake yesterday…"

* * *

><p>"Stupid dog…" he muttered as he continued to brush the bottom of his shoe. After a few minutes of brushing, his shoes were spotless. "That's more like it."<p>

Phoenix returned from the bathroom, shoes in hand. He spotted Maya, who was still talking on the phone and giggling like crazy.

_'I wonder who she's talking to.'_ As he stepped closer, the conversation became much clearer.

"We were… " Maya paused to prevent herself from bursting into a fit of giggles."We were about to leave… when these… these… three giant ducks started chasing after Nick." She immediately started laughing.

Phoenix quickly snatched the phone away from her. "Hey, Edgeworth," he greeted him nervously. "I didn't know you were going to call today... Ducks? What ducks? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. And besides they were geese, not ducks. But I guess to Maya, giant ducks… seem to be possible." He held his hand above her head as if to measure her height.

"Nick!" She puffed her cheeks out angrily. "That's not funny!"

Phoenix chuckled as he continued his conversation with his prosecutor friend. "So, Edgeworth. Been busy? Hah, me? Of course I have! You don't know how many cases I've had in the last few weeks."

Maya sat down at the kitchen table. "Your nose is growing, Pinocchio."

Phoenix shushed her with a finger to his mouth, which caused her to stick her tongue out in response.

"Well, it's good to hear from you, Edgeworth. Tell Detective Gumshoe I said hi. Alright, bye," he said as he hung up the phone. He turned to his assistant. "You didn't have to tell Edgeworth about the little incident in the park."

"Sorry. I didn't know we were supposed to keep that a secret," she said in a hushed tone as her lips curved into a smile.

"Whatever," he said as he turned his back on her and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

Frowning, Maya peeked over his shoulder to take a look. "What's that?"

"Hey!" he cried as he pulled the paper away from her prying eyes.

Maya caught a glimpse of the title. "Is that a to-do list?"

"No," he replied, stuffing the small paper back into his pocket.

"You went to the office to get _that_?"

"No," he repeated. "I had to take care of a few other things too, you know."

"Like what?"

"Like watering Charley," Phoenix replied. "Anyway, I was hoping we could all go watch a movie today... say around 11:15?"

"What kind of movie?" she asked him.

"Oh, just a movie you've been dying to see." Phoenix grinned at her.

Maya squealed, "You mean that new Steel Samurai movie?"

He nodded.

"…the one that just came out today?"

"Yup, which means we should get there early if we want to get good seats."

"Ahhh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she screamed as she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. "I love you so much!" As soon as Maya realized what she said, her eyes grew wide. She quickly released him and bowed her head, unable to meet his eyes.

Phoenix uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck. _'What just happened?'_ He became confused but quickly figured it out. _'Maybe all the excitement tired her out. I guess it was too much for her to handle.'_

After a few seconds, he decided to break the silence between them. "Well… I'm just glad to see that you're happy." He turned his attention to his TV, which had been on since he left for the office. "So, did you get to see who the masked villain was?" he asked as he watched her slowly make her way to the couch.

"Yeah… it was someone I really never expected," she lied. Facing Phoenix, she smiled. "But forget that! I'm really excited for that movie."

This made Phoenix smile. _'Good. I'm gonna make sure you never forget these last few days… with me.'_

Sitting down and grabbing the remote, Maya began to surf through the channels. The Nickel Samurai was just about done and all that's left were a bunch of boring cartoons that Maya had no interest in. Unable to make up her mind, she decided to leave it on the news.

"Now for today's weather," a news reporter said. "It looks like we'll be having plenty of sunshine for most of the day with a few light winds coming from the South, but later on in the evening we'll be seeing those winds pick up, bringing a few rainclouds. Get ready, folks. This could be one ugly storm. Everyone is advised to stay indoors du- "

Muting the television, Maya looked out the window. "Doesn't look like it's gonna rain," she said as she stared at a clear blue sky.

"He said it would in the evening." Phoenix looked out the window as well. "I guess we'll be having one heck of a storm later."

"Nah, I don't believe that. These guys are always wrong when it comes to the weather."

* * *

><p>"It was so close… so close. Why didn't Mr. Nick confess his feelings for her? Those two ladies lied. They lied." The small girl sat in the dark as she thought some more. "They can't do this alone. It looks like Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya are gonna need my help."<p>

The door in front of her opened slowly, revealing Phoenix on the other side.

"Oh, Pearls, there you are. Who are you talking to?" he asked as he looked around. "And what are you doing in my closet?"

"I was… um…" She quickly grabbed the nearest thing. "I was reading one of your books and uh, it's really interesting."

Realizing what she was holding, Phoenix snatched it from her hands, his face turning a bright red. "Y-You shouldn't be playing in here, Pearls. There are things here that are sort of uh, personal."

"Okay, Mr. Nick." She stepped out of the closet. "I didn't mean to invade your privacy."

"It's fine," he told her. "Hey, guess what, Pearls?"

"What?" Pearl asked excitedly.

"We're all going to see a movie today. How does that sound?"

"Yay! A movie, a movie, a movie!" she squealed as she headed toward the living room.

Phoenix shook his head, smiling at the girls' reactions. He couldn't be happier. Staring at the item in his hand, he decided to find a different hiding spot. He walked toward his bed, placing the magazine inside one of his pillowcases.

'_I'll have to return this to Larry soon,' _he thought_. 'I'm pretty sure Pearls wasn't reading this. Thank goodness she wasn't. She was probably coming up with another way to get me and Maya together... But why in my closet?'_

* * *

><p><em>An: That's it for chapter 3! _I'm thinking this story might be one chapter longer, so six chapters maybe. I'm not sure. Anyway, t_hank you to all of my reviewers. You guys are such beautiful people._

_Now, I shall give my readers an incentive to review. Review and you will receive a fresh batch of star-shaped cookies. If you don't like the cookies, then you can have a blueberry-flavored donut instead. Man, I am craving for some sweets right now. xD_


	4. Movie Madness

_A/n: Okay, I lied. Not five… not six… but seven chapters, my final answer. Warning: This chapter contains some spoilers for Ace Attorney Investigations and of course spoilers for the other games as well. Readers must proceed with caution._

_And now I will do a magic trick…_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Movie Madness<strong>

A walk to the movies normally took about thirty minutes from the apartment, but if they did walk it would probably take a little longer than forty minutes with Phoenix limping most of the way. Instead, the trio decided to take the taxi, which would save them plenty of time as well as energy.

They arrived outside of the cinema at about 10:12 AM. After purchasing their tickets, they hurriedly made their way through the lobby toward screen six, where they would watch the Steel Samurai movie that Maya had been looking forward to for so long, but before they could even make it there, a young man in working uniform stopped them.

"Excuse me, but are you guys here for the 11:15 showing of the new Steel Samurai movie?" The man asked. The nametag he had on read _Joe_. Obviously, Joe was one of the employees working here.

"Yes, we're here for the 11:15 showing," Phoenix answered as he showed the man his ticket. Maya and Pearl did the same.

After taking a quick glance at the tickets, Joe nodded.

"Okay, you see that line over there," Joe said, pointing to the left side of the corridor where people were lined up. "You'll have to wait there until they finish cleaning up number six, which shouldn't be too long if you ask me."

Phoenix's jaw nearly dropped as he took in the sight before him. Starting from the entrance of screen six and ending somewhere in the lobby was a very long line of people, ready to watch the same movie as them.

Maya clasped her hands together excitedly. "Let's get going, shall we?"

Maya waved the worker goodbye and dragged what still seemed to be a stunned Phoenix back toward the lobby as Pearl followed closely behind.

The three of them headed over to the back of the line where they waited patiently for the doors to the theater to open. Even though the three of them had arrived about an hour before the actual showing, they still ended up at the far end of the line, and being a few of the last ones to enter meant that there was a high chance of them getting horrible seats. Phoenix didn't want that. He wanted them to enjoy their movie as much as possible.

'_I'll figure something out,'_ he thought.

Maya looked around, noticing many other Steel Samurai fans as well. Then she noticed the bags of popcorn they held in their hands, well most of them anyway. Maya couldn't help but feel hungry.

"Would you like me to buy some popcorn?" Phoenix asked as a smirk crept to his face.

Shaking her head, Maya replied, "Hah! I don't need popcorn to enjoy a good movie."

Earlier, Phoenix had promised to treat them out for burgers if Maya promised not to ask for popcorn. Maya, of course, reluctantly agreed.

Within a few minutes, the doors to screen six opened. Phoenix could tell that they were allowing people to enter since the line was now moving forward. This was a good thing, since standing for long periods of time made him feel tired.

* * *

><p>As Pearl entered the dome-shaped theater, she couldn't help but feel very small and somewhat a little frightened. This was her first time at the cinemas after all.<p>

"Mystic Maya! This place is enormous!"

"It sure is, Pearly! Where else would you watch a great movie?" Maya exclaimed as she held her cousin's hand in case she disappeared within the crowds. "We'd better hurry or we'll lose Nick."

The two girls spotted Phoenix near the front in the very far left section of the auditorium. Using his right hand, he waved and motioned for them to come over.

"These are the only three seats, where we can sit together," Phoenix told them. Forming a rectangle with his fingers, he stared through, focusing on the projection screen.

Maya and Pearl sat down on either side of him.

"I can't wait for the movie!" Pearl smiled happily as she snuggled into her seat. Her attention turned to the giant projection screen and the somewhat distorted images it was displaying. Pearl's smile slowly faded. "Mr. Nick, I can't see the screen very well. It's kind of hurting my eyes. Can't we sit somewhere else?" she asked.

"Pearly, there aren't any other seats. We'll have to stay here," Maya said, reaching for the arm rest, "but that's okay. It's not like we have to get the finest seats or-"

Feeling something wet and sticky between her fingers, Maya brought her hand up to take a look.

"Eww, Mystic Maya. What's all that pink stuff doing on the side of your chair?"

Maya put on a disgusted face. "Chewed gum..."

"This place isn't very sanitary, is it?" Pearl helped her cousin remove what's left of someone else's chewed gum off her fingers.

Noticing that the girls were a little uncomfortable in their current seats, Phoenix looked around as an idea came to him.

"Wait here," he told them as he quickly headed over toward the middle section of the auditorium.

Three young boys were exploding with laughter but quickly grew quiet when a blue-suited man suddenly approached them.

"Uh, do you kids think you could do a little trade with us?" Phoenix asked, hoping for some kind of miracle. "Your seats for ours?"

"Um, where do you sit?" one of the kids asked him.

Phoenix pointed over to where Maya and Pearl were sitting. "Right over there."

The boys quickly shook their heads.

"No."

"No, thanks," they answered.

Phoenix sighed. _'I'm gonna get these seats no matter what. Let's see how you guys like this.' _

He reached for his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

"How about five dollars?" He waved the money in front of the kids, who in turn showed zero interest.

"Okay, fine," he muttered, pulling out another five. "Ten?"

The boys began to eye the money with little interest. One of them quickly spoke out.

"Ten bucks? How stupid do you think we are, _old_ man?"

Phoenix shot daggers at the kid and growled as he pulled out a few more bills.

* * *

><p>"So," Maya began as she eyed Phoenix questioningly, "how much?"<p>

Phoenix shrugged. "Not much. It was just a few dollars, really." He stared at the screen ahead of him, almost as if he was interested in the ads it was displaying.

"It didn't look like a few bucks to me," Maya mumbled as she lowered her head and played with her hands.

Turning to Maya, Phoenix grinned. "Well, at least we got some pretty good seats," he said before giving her a gentle nudge in the side.

Smiling, she nodded in response.

"Now you'll have a fairly nice view of the movie and no gum on the side either. So enjoy yourself as much as you can." He chuckled, pausing a while before continuing, "In two days, you'll be back in Kurain, performing your duties as the new master. Once that happens, you'd probably be too busy to do anything like this," he finished a little sadly.

"I guess so," she murmured softly, her smile slowly fading. _'I love doing these kinds of things with you, Nick. And I don't think I'll ever be too busy for this. I just hope you'll still visit me every once in a while, even when I'm the master and everything.'_

He frowned when he noticed she had gone silent for quite some time. _'Maybe she doesn't like the seats. Damnit, Phoenix! You should've tried harder.'_

"I'm sorry. We should've left earlier. There might've been more seats to choose from."

Upon hearing this, Maya shook her head. "The view from here is perfect, Nick." She smiled as she placed a soft hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Phoenix felt a smile tug at his lips. _'She's never really looked at me like that before,' _he thought_. _The way she said that and the way she touched him just now seemed different. Somehow the soft gesture sent shivers down his back, giving him a rather strange feeling, one he wasn't quite sure of. He studied her face, taking notice of something he's never noticed before.

'_Her eyes are actually quite… beautiful, like they're sparkling almost.'_

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under her friend's gaze, Maya quickly looked away as a faint blush stained her cheeks. The sudden movement woke Phoenix from his trance.

Clearing his head of his previous thoughts, he crossed his arms in a triumphant manner and finally spoke, "Yeah, I guess I did do a good job of getting these seats, didn't I?"

"Yup, you should be proud of yourself, and I'm sure Pearly loves it here too. Isn't that right, Pearly?" Maya leaned forward in her seat to look at her cousin, who was sitting on the other side of Phoenix.

'_Oh, man. I completely forgot Pearls was even here.'_ He turned to his left to see Pearl with her arms crossed and a sort of displeased look on her face, but it wasn't because of Phoenix.

As he and Maya both followed the little girl's line of sight, the problem became clear. Pearl couldn't see a darn thing. The man sitting in front of her was practically blocking her view, and even if Phoenix did switch with her, she still wouldn't be able to see because well… she's short.

"You can't see the screen can you, Pearls?" he asked, knowing the answer to that question already.

Arms still crossed and a pout on her face, she spoke, "I can't see at all." She continued to stare or more like glare at the man with the enormously large head in front of her. How is it, that one's head can block her view of the entire screen?

"I got it!" Maya snapped her fingers as she thought of a simple solution. "There are some booster seats back in the corridor, near the entrance. You can use one of those, Pearly."

"Booster seat?" The young girl asked. It was the first time she had ever heard of such a thing.

"They're these… um, extra seats," Phoenix answered. "Let's just say they make you taller, that way you'll be able to see over someone who's taller than you."

"Wow, that's wonderful. I think I'll get myself a… booster seat." Pearl said excitedly as she stood up and walked toward the aisle. It wasn't difficult since Maya's seat happened to be at the end of the row, making it so much easier for little Pearl to get to the aisle and to avoid stepping on people's toes.

But before she could even make her way to the entrance doors, Maya asked, "You want me to go with you, Pearly?" Thinking that Pearl might need some help, she stood up from her seat.

Pearl sat her cousin back down. "No, I'll be fine, Mystic Maya. I want you to stay and talk with your…" she sighed dreamily as she continued, "…special someone." With that, she left and disappeared out of the entrance doors.

Phoenix and Maya sat in silence for a moment, listening to those around them. It wasn't exactly quiet in the theater, especially when there were screaming Steel Samurai fans.

"So…" The lawyer began, wanting to start a conversation. "…why didn't you wear something a little more casual, instead of wearing the same clothes you always wear?"

Maya turned so that she was facing Phoenix. He smirked, and she knew why. Yesterday, she asked him a question similar to this one.

"Oh c'mon, Nick. This is way different."

"How so?"

"Well…" She placed a finger to her chin. "I'm a spirit medium, and I have to wear these whenever I'm training."

"Maya, you aren't training at this very moment." He pointed out.

"And how would you know that?" She looked at him questioningly as a smile crept to her face.

"Look, we're about to see a movie, right? That means we'll be sitting for about an hour and a half, doing nothing but watching your favorite hero on the big screen. Do you honestly call that training?"

"Of course, old man." She smiled brightly at him.

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Please stop talking to me like I'm your grandpa or something."

"Sorry, Nick. It's just too much fun."

"Yeah, for you anyway. To me, it's more like verbal abuse," Phoenix said as he stretched his arms above his head.

At that moment, he was hit with a bright light. Phoenix, now squinting, tried to get a good look at what was causing the sudden brightness. Apparently, someone was pointing a large flashlight at them. He couldn't make out the face since the person was mostly covered in shadow, but judging by their uniform, the person was a part of security. He was quite surprised when the figure spoke.

"Keep your arms and legs within your own space. It's in the rules."

Maya couldn't believe it. "Th-that voice… it's so familiar. It can't be."

"You youngsters… you think you own the place. Rude, rude, rude… That's all you whippersnappers are. Talking here and there, laughing and running around, rocking your chairs back and forth, calling on your cell phones, and you… stretching your arms up toward the sky as if you could actually touch the ceiling, but you never worry if you're blocking the view of the person sitting behind you. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk… "

Maya blinked, shocked when she came to realize who that voice belonged to. "Ms. Oldbag?"

The person stepped out of the shadows as soon as they heard that name, giving Phoenix and Maya a better look at their face. Yeah, it was definitely her.

"Wendy Oldbag. That's me… And just how is it that you know me?" she asked with a serious expression, one that many find quite disturbing. Her eyes grew wide the moment she recognized the dumbfounded look on Phoenix's face. "Wait a minute… it's you! You're the spiky-headed lawyer who… who…"

"Yeah, I know. I'm the one that questioned you on the witness stand and then accused you of murdering Mr. Hammer a few years back," he finished for her.

Oldbag silently stared at him for a mere two seconds before continuing what she had said earlier before she was interrupted. "You're the one who carelessly pushed me into the water back in that good for nothing theme park they call Gatewater Land."

He looked at her like she was insane. "You're probably mistaking me for some other spiky-headed lawyer. I didn't see you anywhere in Gatewater Land. The only person I _accidentally_ pushed into that lake was whoever was in that… Pink… Bad…ger… costume…" Phoenix gulped. "You were the Pink Badger!"

Maya smiled, clasping her hands together. "Oh, yeah, I remember that. It was right after our little boat ride. That was really funny how you shoved the Pink Badger into the water. Oh man, I wish I'd taken a picture of that. That was a once in a lifetime."

"Maya, you know very well that that was an accident. I tripped and fell…"

"Yeah, and pushed me while you were at it!" Oldbag huffed, her voice seething with anger.

"Hey come on, now. It really was an accident." Phoenix waved his hands in defense. _'I don't want to know how she got to be the Pink Badger. That one's a mystery. What I do want to know is what the hell she's doing here? Never mind. I don't think I want to know that either.'_

"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here." Oldbag smiled through her teeth. "Well, I'll be glad to tell you, you whippersnapper."

Phoenix uncomfortably slid down in his seat, bringing a hand up to run his forehead in an awkward manner as the _Oldbag_ continued to run her mouth. _'This has to be some kind of bad luck. I just know it.'_

Suddenly, the old lady stopped her blabbering when she felt something hard and plastic against the back of her knees. She turned around to see a small girl with a red booster seat in her hands.

"You must be the alien from last year," Pearl said as she took a good look at her.

'_Except now she's got a lightsaber instead of a ray gun,'_ thought Maya.

"Hmph," Oldbag snorted. "Why am I wasting my time with you young whippersnappers anyway? Excuse me, but I've got some security work I need to attend to." She returned to the aisle where she came from, flashing her light in the faces of other people. "Hey, you brats! Put your feet down or I'll put it down for you!" She screamed, scaring a few kids as well as some parents. Within a few seconds, the old lady was out of sight.

Pearl made it back to her seat and placed her booster seat on top. Sitting down at a now higher level, she was able to get a good look at the projection screen.

"How is it, Pearls?" Phoenix asked.

"It works, Mr. Nick. Now, I don't have to worry about _Mr. Big Head_."

The man in front turned his head to look at them, feeling a little hurt because someone had called his head 'big'.

Phoenix waved at him nervously. "Sorry about that."

The man didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his attention back to the screen.

Pearl tugged on Phoenix's sleeve. "Mr. Nick? While I was out in the hallway getting a booster seat, I noticed a large metal box full of colorful balls. What are they?" she asked curiously.

"Hmm," Phoenix thought for a second. "Oh, you mean the gumball machine."

"Did someone say gumball?" Maya asked as she leaned forward to look at him with her puppy eyes.

He knew that look all too well. Phoenix glanced at his watch. _'We still got ten minutes 'til the movie starts.'_ He sighed in defeat. "Here's two quarters. Should get you two pieces. One for you and one for Pearls." As he was about to place the coins in her hand, Pearl snatched them.

"I'll get the gumballs, Mr. Nick. I really want to look at the pretty colors again," she said as she disappeared out through the big doors for the second time.

"She really seems to be enjoying herself, huh," Phoenix said as he faced Maya.

"Well, it is her first time at the movies. What do you expect?" Maya laughed softly, but stopped shortly when she noticed a woman sitting in her cousin's seat. "Nick, that woman's in Pearly's spot," she whispered.

Turning to his left, Phoenix met with two blue eyes, which seemed to darken the moment he looked into them.

"Hi there, big boy." The woman purred, batting her long eyelashes as she leaned towards him. "Name's Katie."

'_What's he waiting for?'_ Maya thought. _'She's in Pearly's seat, Nick! Tell her she's in Pearly's seat! Say something already!'_

"H-Hey," he breathed nervously.

Maya smacked her forehead. _'He's a goner.'_

Moving her lips over to his ear, Katie whispered, "I'm so lonely right now. I could use some company…" She smiled suggestively at him. He swallowed hard.

Maya looked in disgust as the woman leaned closer to Phoenix. Who does she think she is? Whatever it was that she said, it made Phoenix blush something terrible.

'_Maybe that's what Nick's attracted to. Girls with pretty faces, long eyelashes, and large… breasts.' _Maya folded her arms subconsciously over her chest as she continued to glare viciously at the woman.

Where did this she come from anyway? Maya looked over and noticed two empty seats beside the strange woman. It looked like she's been sitting in the same row as them.

Phoenix tensed up as Katie slid an unwelcomed hand up his inner thigh. He quickly placed his hand on top of hers to prevent it from traveling any further.

"I-I'm sorry, Katie," he stammered, "…but I… I'm already… um, taken. Uh, I mean… I already have company, uh no I…" He immediately cleared his throat. "That seat is already… taken."

She began to run her fingers along his arm, ignoring what he had just said. "You are so good-looking, but I bet you already knew that." She had on a sort of dazed look as she stared at him. "And you have such strong arms… so sexy."

"Uh," was all Phoenix could say.

'_That's it!'_ Maya gritted her teeth and stood up, jealousy obviously getting the better of her. _'This was supposed to be our time together. This obsessed woman has got to go!_' She was about to open her mouth and say something when her cousin, Pearl, suddenly showed up.

Pearl had seen most of what was going on and she was quite disappointed in what she saw. _'Don't worry, Mystic Maya. I'll kick him back to his senses.'_ She hurriedly ran over to where Phoenix was sitting and kicked him as hard as she could on the side of his leg.

"Aaaah!" he screamed as he clutched his leg in pain. His loud voice made the woman next to him jump up in her seat.

"Mr. Nick!" Pearl rolled her sleeve up and glared at Phoenix. "How dare you look at another woman! You should only have eyes for Mystic Maya. And I can't believe you gave my seat to someone else!"

"Pearly, wait!" Maya quickly grabbed hold of her cousin before she could do any more damage.

"Cute kid," Katie said as she smiled at the small girl. "… but someone's got to teach her some manners."

"You're the one who's got poor manners if you ask me," retorted Maya.

"Kate!"

The four of them turned in the direction of the deep voice. A man appeared, wearing a bright red sleeveless shirt, a pair of light blue ripped jeans and on his head he wore a white bandana. In all honesty, his clothes made him look like a giant Tylenol caplet.

'_Whoa! This guy is huge!'_ thought Phoenix as he got a good look at the guy. He was definitely a good four inches taller than Phoenix.

Pearl quickly hid behind Maya, trembling in fear as the man came closer.

"Oh hey, Mike." Katie said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "What took you so long? I missed you."

'_Yeah right,'_ Maya rolled her eyes at her.

"Who's this punk?" Mike questioned as he eyed Phoenix suspiciously.

Phoenix quickly stood from his seat. "N-Nobody, I was just –"

"Oh, this guy's been flirting with me the whole time." Katie giggled. "Weren't you, you naughty boy?"

"What? You've been touchin' my girl!" Mike shouted as he grinded his teeth in anger.

Phoenix found himself backing towards Maya and Pearl. "Huh? Wait, no. I wasn't-"

"You've been touchin' my girl!" The man shouted again, nearly catching everyone's attention.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" A couple of kids and young teenagers began to cheer them on, while a few quickly got up to look for security.

"Use the samurai slash!" One kid shouted.

Mike's face contorted with anger as he moved closer to Phoenix. "I'm gonna crush you 'till you-"

"Nick didn't do anything! He's innocent!" Maya cried out. She couldn't stand to see Phoenix get hurt. "It was your girlfriend here who-"

"Shut your trap, girl! You ain't in this you got that!"

"Hey! Don't you dare yell at her!" Phoenix screamed, balling his hands into fists. He was more than prepared to hit him if needed be. "You don't have the right!"

Mike roughly grabbed Phoenix by the collar, pulling him closer. "You don't wanna mess with me, porcupine head," he said in a dangerously low voice. "… 'cause it's gonna get ugly.'

Just then, something small hit the side of Mike's head. "Okay, who the hell just threw popcorn at me!"

"That would be me."

They all turned to see Wendy Oldbag. In her hand was a bag full of buttery popcorn. The man standing next to her with an irritated expression pointed a finger in their direction.

"These guys have been going at it for five minutes non-stop. Look, I've already missed the first two minutes of the previews," The man complained.

Pearl quietly whispered into her cousin's ear. "It's the _Big Head_, Mystic Maya."

Maya nodded.

"Is there a problem here?" Oldbag asked as she kept her focus on Mike, who was still gripping Phoenix tightly by the collar.

Mike slowly released his hold on the lawyer. "No, there's no problem. We were just leaving. This movie's probably stupid anyway." Grabbing his girlfriend's hand, he made his way toward the exit. Before the man completely disappeared however, he turned around and gave the lawyer a death glare as his girlfriend gave him a wink. Phoenix gulped.

Oldbag turned her attention back to the three of them. "What about you youngsters? You gonna watch the movie or do I have to kick you out too."

"We're good," Phoenix said, sitting down in his seat. He watched as the old lady walked away, snacking on her popcorn. Phoenix let out a tired sigh._ 'Whew, saved by the oldbag.'_

Maya took her seat as well, while Pearl grabbed the booster seat from under her own seat and placed it back on top.

"Are you okay, Nick?" Maya asked.

He nodded then looked at her. "I'm fine. Let's not worry about what happened earlier. We came here to watch a movie, remember?" Smiling, he patted her head. "You still want to watch, don't you?"

"Of course!"

* * *

><p>They were now halfway through the movie, watching one of those major fluffy love scenes. The Steel Samurai was confessing his love to the Pink Princess, and Phoenix couldn't help but roll his eyes at how corny it all sounded.<p>

'_So I guess that's how they ended up getting married and having a kid. All this time I thought it just came out of nowhere,' _he thought as he turned his attention toward Maya, who seemed to be entranced at the moment.

Speaking of kids, soon Maya will have to find a husband. How else would she provide an heir? And who knew how soon exactly? It wasn't something he really wanted to think about, and he knew for certain that Maya wouldn't need to search too far for a husband.

'_Any guy would be lucky to have her as his girl,' _he thought_. 'She's funny, kind, and she never gives up on you… I definitely know she's never given up on me.'_

For some reason, Phoenix felt the need to study her as his wandering eyes ran her over from top to bottom. Maya had a pretty face with smooth features that seemed to fit her personality just right. Even though she would act childish at times, she was very mature in her own way, and there's no doubt that she had indeed grown into quite a beautiful young woman over the last few years.

He continued to gaze at her. There was just something special about Maya that he couldn't really put into words. It was like she had this glow around her that gave him a warm feeling inside.

He thought about her smile. She had quite an amazing smile, a smile that had that always seemed to brighten his day no matter how down he felt. There's no doubt about it, her smile is quite addictive. That happy-go-lucky personality she had made her that more attractive... Wait, did he just call Maya attractive?

'_Don't think about her like that! She's your friend, or are you saying you want her to be something more.'_

His eyes then slowly trailed down to her beautiful and slender… legs. He swallowed hard, unable to look away.

Noticing he'd been staring, Maya suddenly spoke, "Is something on your mind?" She stared at him with a raise of her brow.

"Legs," he replied without thinking. As soon as he realized it, he mentally slapped himself. "I-I mean, uh, why doesn't the Steel Samurai… show his um… legs." He mentally slapped himself again, this time even harder.

A couple of kids behind them spoke, "Hey old man, shut up. We're trying to watch the movie. Talk to your girlfriend after it's done."

Phoenix sank in his seat completely embarrassed, while Maya turned a bright red.

* * *

><p><em>An: That was some pretty good magic trick, huh? Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. I'm sorry if the chapter was long. I don't usually write long chapters, and this has got to be my longest chapter yet! Again, thank you to those who have reviewed._

_Reviews are cookies. I want some cookies. If you give me more cookies, I'll perform another magic trick. xD_


	5. Burgers!

_A/n: Hi, guys! Sorry for making you wait so long. Been busy, you know, and I'm desperately in need of sleep. I'm SO VERY tired right now and I'm still not satisfied with this chapter, but whatever, I'll post it anyway since I haven't updated for a while._

_So here it is, Chapter 5!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Burgers!<strong>

"That movie rocked!" Maya cheerily exclaimed as she pushed through the exit doors and pumped her fists wildly in the air.

They were the last to leave the auditorium thanks to Maya. She had insisted on watching the entire credits before leaving, in case there was a surprise bonus scene at the end. There was absolutely no way she'd miss that. Unfortunately, to her surprise, there was none.

Phoenix walked casually in front of her, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I know what you mean. My ears are still ringing. Don't know why you're so excited about this movie, though, too much noise if you ask me."

She snorted in response. "Hmph, what noise? All I heard was music, Nick, music to my ears!" she said as they made their way out the corridors and toward the lobby.

He scoffed at her. "Doesn't sound like music to me. Why can't they lower the volume a bit, especially during the battle scenes? I got a humongous headache from all the clanking and clonking."

"Well, what's the point of seeing it in the theaters then? You might as well just watch it on your TV."

"I prefer that actually. It's a lot quieter that way. I mean, I couldn't fully understand what I was watching back there could you? The whole thing felt like one huge concert, you know with all those screaming fans, particularly a certain fan right here." He smirked.

She playfully stuck her tongue out at him before replying, "Old man."

Phoenix frowned, bringing a hand up to rub his ear. "If I lose my hearing in one of my ears, I'm blaming you."

"Hehe… old man."

He turned to glare at Maya, who could only look at him with an innocent smile. "Will you stop that?"

"Stop what?" she asked grinning.

Pearl skipped happily alongside Maya, holding tightly to her cousin's arm as she giggled softly. "I enjoyed the movie, Mystic Maya. It was lovely."

"Thank you, Pearly," Maya replied as she hugged her. "See, Nick, why can't you be more like my perfect little cousin over here?"

The young girl blushed at the comment. "Oh, Mystic Maya, you're so kind!"

"What about me, Pearls?" Phoenix pouted.

"Who, you?" Maya asked before facing her cousin. "Nick's a big grump, right Pearly?"

Pearl quickly nodded.

"Yeah, a big grump!" the small girl repeated as she stuck her tongue out at the lawyer, just like Maya had done a couple seconds earlier.

"Hey, don't forget, I'm the one who took you two to see this movie, you know." He huffed.

"And we are eternally grateful for that, really," Maya responded. "But c'mon, Nick, you gotta admit that it was the greatest movie ever!"

"Yeah, the greatest movie ever!" Pearl excitedly exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, great… movie… whatever," he grumbled.

"You didn't like the movie, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked.

Phoenix turned to face her and was about to answer, but Maya quickly cut in.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the movie, Pearly. No doubt he was definitely interested in _something_." She smirked.

"Really, what's that?" Pearl asked, curiosity filling her eyes.

Maya snickered, trying her best to suppress a laugh. "The Steel Samurai's… legs!"

The young woman instantly doubled over in laughter as soon as the words left her mouth. Tears filled her eyes as she continued to laugh uncontrollably. Eyes wide with embarrassment, Phoenix stopped in his tracks as a faint blush stained his cheeks, the sudden action causing both Maya and Pearl to bump into him.

"Haha… ow!" Maya rubbed the tip of her nose.

"What's wrong with Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked staring up at the back of his head.

"Hee hee," Maya giggled. "Maybe he's attracted to… man legs."

Shaking off his embarrassment, he snapped his head towards her and scowled. "That's highly unlikely!"

Maya laughed at his expression, much to Phoenix's dismay. He, on the other hand, didn't find that funny one bit as he continued to walk ahead of them. Maya quickly regained her composure as she and Pearl followed closely behind.

"Don't deny it, Nick. You know you've got a thing for _man legs_." She made a noise that sounded like a snort.

Pearl gasped in surprise. "You do, Mr. Nick?"

Phoenix stared at the two girls as if they were crazy. "No… never in a million years! Don't listen to Maya, she's crazy!"

"Hey, don't be mean! Besides, you mentioned the Steel Samurai's legs earlier, so I just assumed that—"

"I do not!" He quickly interrupted as he clumsily grabbed Maya's wrist and led her away, desperately trying to escape odd stares from several people. "Let's go!"

"Huh? Hey! Where are we going?" she questioned as he continued to drag her along the pavement.

'_Anywhere but here, I don't think I could ever show my face here anymore,'_ he thought to himself as he hastily walked across the parking lot.

Pearl tried her best to keep up with them. She couldn't help but feel thrilled at the moment because her two favorite people were holding hands, though not exactly in a romantic sort of way like she had hoped, but still, she was pleased that they were making some progress.

It wasn't long before the three of them stopped after noticing huge groups of people, not too far from where they were standing, gather in the parking lot. It was difficult to see exactly what was going on due to the thick crowd, but whatever it was it seemed to have gotten everyone's attention.

"I wonder what's up," Maya said as she tried to get a better view.

"Um, isn't that the mean old grumpy bear from before?" Pearl asked nervously as she began to bite the tip of her thumb.

"A bear? Where?" Maya asked as she searched around for anything that looked like one.

Keeping his eyes on a few certain people, Phoenix tapped the side of Maya's arm with the back of his hand, motioning for her to look. "I think she means Mr. Grumpy and his overly flirtatious girlfriend over there."

"Huh?" Maya followed his gaze, gasping softly as a familiar scene played out before them.

Three people were standing in the center of the crowd; two men, one of them screaming at the other, and a young woman, who appeared to be enjoying it as she calmly stood by, a satisfied smile on her face. The larger man, Mike, saw only red as he began to shove the other guy around.

"You've been touchin' my girl!" Mike roared.

"No, I haven't!" the other man shouted, holding his hands up in defense.

"You've been touchin' my girl!"

The crowd began to shout, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Unsure of what to make of the situation, Phoenix slowly exchanged looks with Maya and Pearl, who looked just about as confounded as he was.

"This all seems too familiar somehow," Phoenix said annoyed.

"Sure does." Maya agreed.

The scene just got worse as Mike got into a fighting stance with his legs apart, knees bent, and fists held high near his face, resembling that of a boxer.

"Alright, buddy! Let's dance!" Mike's deep voice echoed as the crowd began to cheer even louder.

The other man found this extremely irritating. "You are insane, man! Why the hell you want to fight me for?"

Mike wasted no time as his fist met the side of the other man's face, knocking him roughly to the ground. Again, the blaring crowd would cheer, and in a few short seconds, they had formed a circle surrounding the two men.

"Uh oh, this is bad." Phoenix said as he continued to observe.

"We should do something, Nick!" Maya quickly shouted.

Just then, they heard a loud whistle as a security guard rushed into the scene. The circle had been cut and the fighting had ceased in just a matter of seconds. Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl watched in wonder at how the security guard handled the situation so quickly, and in an odd sort of fashion. Several seconds later, the crowds slowly began to disperse, leaving only a few people behind.

"Um, did you see what I saw?" Maya asked as she stood there in amazement.

Phoenix blinked a few times before answering. "You mean how Ms. Oldbag managed to tackle a man twice her size to the ground, not to mention body slammed the guy? I saw, but I find it hard to believe."

"Um…" Pearl began. "…do you think he'll be alright?"

"He'll be fine," Phoenix answered. "C'mon, we should get going before we're spotted."

"Right…" Maya responded.

After a few moments, they were back on the streets, watching the cars go by as they continued to walk. Young Pearl hummed quietly to herself as she held on to both of their hands, hugging their arms tightly together. It didn't bother the two much since the small girl had done this several times before. By now, they had already gotten used to it.

"Hmm, where should we go next?" Phoenix asked. As soon as he said this, Maya's stomach grumbled, receiving an odd look from the lawyer. She chuckled sheepishly.

"Um, how about we go grab a bite to eat? You still owe me a burger," she said, holding back her wide grin.

Phoenix laughed. "Of course. How could I forget? You and your constant craving for burgers."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves at a small fast food restaurant, a few blocks away from the theater complex. After ordering the usual, Phoenix grabbed the food tray and sat down at the table where Maya and Pearl waited patiently for him.<p>

The smell was so delicious, Maya could practically taste it. She quickly thanked him and reached for the burger, removing the wrapper forcefully. She took a large bite, then another quickly after. Bite, chew, swallow…

"Whoa! Slow down there, Maya! You don't want to choke, do you?"

"Sorry, I can't help it," she mumbled as she continued to wolf down her food.

Pearl laughed quietly as she watched her cousin admirably; she was completely amazed at her ability to eat so much and in such a short amount of time. After thanking the lawyer, the girl in pink took the small burger from the tray and began to eat as well.

About a minute later, Maya had finished her burger, smiling contently as she wiped her hands on her napkin. Phoenix slowly shook his head. How Maya managed to eat a large burger in just a few minutes was beyond him.

He slowly raised a brow at her as the corners of his mouth quirked in an amused smile. "Satisfied?"

"Mmm hmm… definitely."

"You should've taken your time. That way, you could've savored every bite. Who knows, you probably won't be eating these kinds of food for a while."

Maya quieted down almost instantly and looked down at the leftover wrappers. Her heart tightened in her chest as his words resonated through her mind. Perhaps he would be relieved once she left the city. No more burgers, no more Steel Samurai, no more annoying assistant. Would he miss her? No, what was she thinking? Of course, he'd miss her. Wait, why was she thinking about the same things over and over again? These thoughts, they were becoming a bit of a nuisance already. When will they stop?

"Maya?"

Staring out the window absentmindedly and ignoring the voice that was calling out to her, the spirit medium felt like she was once again being sucked into another one of her daydreams. The silly little idea that Phoenix would confess that he had feelings for her seemed farther away as that dreadful day drew closer and closer.

Maybe she should be the one to confess to him about how she felt. Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard. If he didn't feel the same way, then they could just laugh about it, right? It wouldn't be such a big deal. But then, what if he started feeling uncomfortable around her later on? That would certainly push him away. What then? She didn't want their relationship to be awkward. That's the last thing she wanted.

Did he feel anything for her at all, something more than just friendship? How the heck would she know? He certainly didn't show it, or maybe he was just really good at hiding it. No, that couldn't be right. How could she fall victim to something so silly such as _wishful thinking_?

"Maya?"

The young woman blinked a few times before jolting back to reality. "Huh?"

Phoenix stared at her momentarily before chuckling lightly, "You sure daydream a lot. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said softly.

He raised a brow at her. "You sure?"

Maya nodded, giving him a small smile. "Yup."

"Oh, okay."

Silence followed.

"Aah!" she suddenly cried out.

"W-What? What is it?" he asked. Her sudden outcry made him jump in his seat.

Maya slapped her head playfully. "I just remembered! I have to pick up something from the store nearby. Wait here, this'll only take a couple minutes."

Before he could even ask, Maya stood and exited the restaurant, leaving Phoenix with a puzzled expression. He exchanged looks with Pearl who sat diagonally across from him as she continued to eat her food _very_ slowly. They sat there for a whole three minutes, not once did Pearl take her eyes off him.

Phoenix shifted uncomfortably in his chair, under the heavy scrutiny of Pearl's stare. After minutes of staring, the small girl finally spoke.

"So…" she began.

"So…"

"When will you ask her?" She asked with a serious face.

He swallowed hard. "Ask her what?"

Her expression quickly changed as she blurted out, "To marry you of course!" She gazed at his face, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Excuse me?" Phoenix asked as he was taken aback by her words.

"You know… marriage. I wanna see a wedding, Mr. Nick!" She pleaded with him.

"What makes you think Maya and I are getting married?" He asked as beads of sweat fell down the side of his face.

"The two of you have already gone on a date, so—"

"Date?" He interrupted. "We've never gone on a date."

"You did today," Pearl stated as her smile grew larger. "Mystic Maya said if a man takes you to the movies, it's a date, so that must mean the two of you are in love, right?"

"Maya said what?"

Phoenix wondered what else Maya had been saying to the little girl, how to make fun of the spiky-haired lawyer no doubt, but now Pearl had gotten the silly little notion that he and Maya were dating, all tightly wrapped up in that tiny little head of hers.

He thought a bit before smiling halfheartedly at her. "Well, technically, Pearls, it wouldn't really be called a date if you came along with us, now would it?"

"Huh? Oh, well I um…" Pearl paused briefly as she began to think. A small frown became visible on her face. "…I guess you're right, maybe I shouldn't have come. I can't believe I made such a simple mistake, now I know I'm gonna be punished."

"Wait a second there, Pearls, don't say things like that. I wanted to treat the both of you out, so there's absolutely no reason for you not to come."

She pouted, feeling dejected as she rested her head on her elbows. "Yes, there is."

He sighed, it was no use.

* * *

><p>Phoenix glanced at his watch. "Maya's been gone for quite some time now. I wonder what's taking her so long."<p>

"It's only been like fifteen minutes. She'll be back." Pearl said as she began to fidget with her hands.

"Hmm, why do you think she left in such a hurry?"

"Huh?" Pearl looked a bit nervous. "Um, maybe she'd gone to the bathroom to use the potty."

'_If she needed to use the bathroom, she would've used the one in the restaurant. Judging by the way she's acting, I bet Pearls knows exactly what Maya's up to. Well, time for me to pry some information from her. It is my job after all,' _he thought as his lips curved into a smile.

"Ahem, hey Pearls?"

"Yes, Mr. Nick?"

"So about Maya…"

"Oh, Mystic Maya!" Pearl exclaimed as her face was filled with delight.

He raised a brow at her. "Uh, yeah. Um, what exactly—"

"…am I doing?" A voice from behind him called out.

"D'ahh!" Phoenix screamed. "My god, Maya, don't sneak up on me like that!"

She chuckled lightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

He placed a hand over his chest as he steadied his breathing. Looking up at his assistant, he noticed she was holding a medium-sized box. Curious, he decided to ask, "So, whatcha got there?"

"Oh, this?" She placed the box on top of the table. "It's just a little present I got for you."

Pearl gasped.

"A present?" Phoenix stared at the white box. Slowly and carefully, he opened the lid, curious as to what it contained. Inside was a round, vanilla-flavored cake covered in chocolate frosting. He smiled as he caught sight of odd little finger-pointing designs drawn randomly in blue icing. He turned to face Maya.

"You do know that my birthday isn't until next month, right?" He asked, hoping that she didn't forget when his birthday was. How could she forget about something as important as that? They had known each other for three years.

Maya folded her arms across her chest. "Well, of course I know that! What kind of friend do you think I am? Besides, it's not a birthday cake. It's a thank you cake."

Phoenix gave her a questioning look. "Thank you… cake?"

"Here, read what it says," she said as she pointed to the blue writing on the surface of the cake.

_Thank you, Nick._

He brought his head up to look at Maya. "Thank you for what?"

"For everything I guess." She clasped her hands together behind her back as she nervously continued. "You've been looking out for me ever since Mia died, and I really want to thank you for that. You made my life so much more exciting, and these last few years have been really fun. Not only that, but you're the kindest, most amazing guy I've ever met. I'm so glad that you're my best friend, Nick, and I'm really hoping that it stays that way." She finished, unable to meet his eyes.

Shaking with excitement, Pearl glanced at Phoenix, then at Maya, then at Phoenix again. The suspense was killing her.

Phoenix couldn't think of anything to say, so instead he rose from his chair and lightly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close in a gentle hug. What she said just now, every single word, they meant a lot to him.

Closing his eyes, he thought,_ 'I should be thanking you for even being in my life, Maya. You've done more for me than you think.'_

* * *

><p><em>An: Okay, there it is. Thanks for reading, everyone! Now, just two more chapters to go..._

_And many thanks to those who have reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated :D _

_Love you, guys!_


	6. Now or Never

_A/n: I made you guys wait way too long for this chapter, my apologies. I'm getting awfully lazy again, that and the fact that I've been busy. Well, enjoy. Capítulo seis._

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Now or Never<strong>

Finally, after a long and exhausting day, it was time to head back to the apartment. Maya, who seemed like she was still full of energy, told Phoenix that they couldn't go back just yet. When he asked her why, she replied, "What about _Saturday Nights_?" He nodded, understanding what she meant. They made a quick stop at a nearby store, buying a few snacks to prepare for their movie night. Deciding on what they could watch was difficult for Phoenix. There wasn't much to choose from and most of the titles were a bit lame really. Not wanting to spend all evening staring at a bunch of DVD cases, Phoenix finally made up his mind and rented a little something called _Never in My Life_. It would be their last movie for today, probably for the rest of the weekend.

It was getting late. The sun had already set, and the winds were picking up speed, bringing in menacing-looking clouds along the way. Pearl clung onto Maya's robes, frightened by the sudden change of weather. Maya pulled her cousin closer as she tried her best to comfort the young girl.

After a bit of walking, the three of them made it safely to Phoenix's apartment. As soon as they were inside, Maya snatched the DVD from the lawyer and popped the disc into the DVD player. In a few short moments, they were on the couch, watching the movie that Phoenix had rented.

Nearly two hours had passed and Maya wasn't at all impressed. In fact, she was quite disappointed.

"Okay? Uh, that was boring and a bit um…strange, very, very strange. Couldn't you have gotten something better?" Maya looked to Phoenix who shrugged.

She turned her attention back to the screen and brought a hand up to her mouth, yawning loudly as she stretched on the couch. She blinked a few times as she continuously played a few scenes over and over again in her head. Never in her life had she watched a movie that hardly made any sense at all. The plot was all over the place and the ending wasn't exactly satisfying. It was like a bunch of random scenes thrown in together just for the heck of it. There was no doubt in her mind that the Steel Samurai movie was a thousand times better than this…whatever this was. Should this even be called a movie?

Taking her eyes off the screen, Maya decided to ask some questions, though she had a feeling that no one would answer them. "So did you guys understand what was happening? 'Cause I certainly didn't. What was the point of him sending the letter if he knew she'd never get it? And why was the little guy so upset? Was it because he found out about his brother's secret, you know the whole satellite thing? Or was it because he lost a toe? But then, they'd just re-grow their toes, won't they? Oh, man, I've never been so totally confused in my entire life."

Phoenix made a noise that sounded like a snort. "Oh, I can think of a few times of when you were."

Maya rolled her eyes at his words. "It was boring, wasn't it?" She faced her cousin, who instead of replying, simply nodded at her.

Phoenix sighed and reached for the remote, turning off the TV as well as the DVD player. Scratching his head, he turned to Maya. "What are you complaining about? We got to watch your beloved Steel Samurai movie, didn't we?"

"Well, yeah but—"

"No, I don't wanna hear any—"

"But—"

"Maya, will you just—"

"Wait—"

In a desperate attempt to get her to stop talking, he quickly placed a hand over her mouth, preventing her from saying another word. Surprised by his sudden action, Maya stared at him as a smile crept to his face. "You know, Maya. Why not just say _'thanks, Nick. Thank you so much for renting this movie'_. It'd be nice to hear that from you instead of _'it's boring'_. Hmm?"

As he removed his hand from her mouth, he raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her response. She folded her arms tightly across her chest and smirked. "Thank you, Nick. Thank you for spending a few dollars so that we could watch a movie about falling satellites and grumpy gnomes."

It wasn't long before the smile on his face began to slowly disappear. He sighed, defeated. "Okay, you're right. I admit that movie was boring…and most definitely stupid," he muttered.

She smiled. "See? I told you. If you had let me choose, we'd be—"

"Oh, heck no." He quickly cut her off. "No, no, no, no, no, and no. We are not watching _that_ again. We've rented that six times already."

"Seven." She corrected him.

"Whatever. You know what? It's okay. We can just forget about this movie because next Saturday's will be much better, I promise."

"Um…right," she said, her voice suddenly becoming a whisper. Her smile faded as she stared into her lap, avoiding his gaze.

The silence came, making Phoenix uncomfortable. He cursed inwardly, realizing he had said something wrong, again. He nervously cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Oh, well…I mean, you know, when you visit me…um…if you're not too busy…"

She brought her head up to look at him. "You'll visit Kurain too, won't you? You won't forget about me and Pearly, right?"

Phoenix looked at her in disbelief. He was surprised she'd ask something like that. Surely, she didn't think that he would just move on and forget about her once she returned to Kurain? Maybe she did. All this time, he thought he was the one who'd be tossed aside and forgotten. It hadn't occurred to him that Maya would feel the same way, but then again, she knew what it was like to have people leave her. She had experienced it most of her life. Perhaps she thought…he would do the same. Not like that would happen of course. He could never do that to her and silently prayed she wouldn't do that to him either.

He smiled reassuringly at her. "Of course I'll visit. Kurain's not that far, by train anyway. Visiting won't be a problem. And what makes you think I'd forget about you and Pearls? You two are like family to me."

She lowered her head, wanting to believe him, but somehow couldn't. His words were warm, but they were just words. Things would change. That she was sure of. She'd have her own responsibilities and he…well…he'd meet someone, fall in love, and forget all about her and Kurain. But she had to think positive. Maybe he wouldn't forget about her, but then she was sure he'd meet someone and fall in love. Why did she have to make such a big deal about this? _Because I love him, that's why_, she silently answered.

Phoenix's lips curved into a frown. Why was she so upset? Worried, he placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Maya didn't answer him. Instead, she turned her attention toward her cousin, who had been quiet for some time now.

"Pearly's asleep…" she said.

Phoenix looked at the young girl who was curled beside Maya. "She did look really tired earlier."

"Well, we all are. We've had a tiring day," Maya said as she watched her cousin who was now in a peaceful slumber.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Anyway, thanks for taking me and Pearly to the movies today."

He softly shook his head. "No need to thank me. You already did, remember? And I should thank you for that cake. It was really delicious."

She nodded and then grinned at him. "Remember last week? You said there was absolutely no way you'd see that movie with us and yet you actually did."

"Yeah, well, people often change their minds," Phoenix said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"You know…" Maya began. "…if you weren't there with us, I'd probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did."

Surprised by her words, Phoenix turned to look at her, seeing how she would once again avoid his gaze. Inside, Maya felt like screaming. Why did she say that just now? She might as well be wearing a big sign that says _hey Nick, I love you!_ Well, she did plan on telling him, but now she felt like she couldn't. She was too afraid of what he might think.

"Maya?" he called out.

She faced him. _Uh oh, he's figured it out,_ she thought as she tried to calm her fast beating heart. "Hm?"

"I…uh, there's something that…I…I…um…never mind. Anyway, I'm glad you feel that way," he said a little too quickly as he averted his gaze.

She frowned. What was he gonna say? Maybe he'd finally caught on. He was always pretty good at figuring things out.

Once again, it was quiet between the pair as they continued to stare at nothing in particular. The only noise they could hear were the sounds of Pearl's gentle snoring and the howling of the wind coming from the window. This awkward silence, it was becoming a bit of a routine for them and it drove Phoenix crazy.

A minute or two later, he rose from the couch. He drew a long breath, grabbing his jacket as he made his way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Maya asked him.

"I'm just gonna return the DVD," he answered her as he bent down to put on his shoes. "I might forget tomorrow."

"Um, Nick, I think you forgot to grab the DVD," she told him as he was about to open the door.

"Oh, right," he said. He walked over the TV set and removed the DVD from the player, placing the disc back in its case.

Maya watched him make his way to the front door. "Nick, there's a storm coming. You'll get sick."

"Don't worry. I won't be out too long. It'll only take fifteen minutes," he said as he grabbed an umbrella and left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

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><p>Maya awoke to the rumbling of thunder. It was raining. How long it had been raining like this, she didn't know. Keeping her eyes shut, she groaned inwardly as tried to block out the background noise. Feeling a little cold, she reached for the blanket that was resting near her feet. Strange, she didn't remember wearing a blanket to sleep. As she pulled on it, she felt something move. She lazily opened one eye and scanned her surroundings. It seemed she had fallen asleep on the couch. The room was dark with little light coming from the window. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw him.<p>

There, sitting on the other end of the couch was Phoenix, staring blankly at the TV that had been off for quite some time. Maya glanced at a nearby clock. It was past midnight. Why was he still up? Did the storm wake him up too? The girl bit her lip, unsure of whether or not she should interrupt him from his current thoughts. He seemed to be lost in them as he practically stared at nothing. He didn't even notice her staring at him.

In a soft voice, Maya called out to him. "Nick?"

He blinked, turning at the mention of his name. "M-Maya, I didn't know you were awake. I thought you were sleeping."

She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she replied. "I was. The storm woke me up."

Phoenix chuckled. "Looks like the weatherman made the right call, huh?"

She smiled, but quickly frowned when a certain little girl came to mind. "Where's Pearly?"

"She's in my room, sleeping of course. I didn't think she'd be comfortable on the couch so I moved her."

"Aww, what about me?" she asked jokingly as she stared at him with sad eyes. "Why can't I sleep on your bed instead of this old thing?"

He laughed. "You sure looked comfortable when I came back. Besides, you've slept here plenty of times before."

"Oh, so you returned the DVD?"

He nodded. "Yeah, like three hours ago. I told you I was only gonna be out for fifteen minutes. Didn't think you'd be asleep by the time I get back."

With a wide grin, she replied, "Sorry, Nick, but sleep was out to get me."

Lightning lit up the sky, followed by roaring thunder. It was raining harder now. Luckily, there weren't any cats or dogs falling out of the sky.

"It's been raining nonstop since I got back," he said as he stared at the window.

Maya raised a brow at him. "Were you awake all this time?"

He nodded. "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh," she replied, "so what're you thinking about?"

"Things. They're not important, really." _Though I would like to know what's been on your mind these last few days_, he thought.

He was about to ask her when suddenly a strange song began to fill the air.

_There was a farmer who had a dog  
>And Bingo was his name-O.<br>B-I-N-G-O  
>B-I-N-G-O…<em>

"Um, is that music?" Maya asked as she began to laugh. She looked to Phoenix who had been softly banging his head back against the couch.

He groaned. "I'll be right back."

Maya could only giggle as Phoenix sauntered over to where little Pearl was hiding. The small girl gasped. Surprised that she had been caught, she nervously greeted him.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Nick. Um, your radio seems to be broken."

"Nice try, Pearls." He grabbed the small radio and snaked an arm around Pearl's waist, carrying them both back to his room.

As soon as he was inside, he gently placed the young girl down. Placing both hands on his waist, he gave her a stern look. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I heard thunder and got scared. I saw that you two were awake so I…" She lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I was only trying to create a romantic setting."

"By playing children's sing-along songs?" _Even if Maya and I were dating, we wouldn't be listening to something like that, _he shuddered.

"I'm only nine years old, Mr. Nick. I don't know where to find beautiful, romantic love songs, and I certainly couldn't find any in your room so I just played one of my own tapes. It's very catchy!"

_Why not tune in to one of the local radio stations?_ He thought. He smiled and crouched down to Pearl's level. "You just don't know when to give up, do you Pearls?"

She smiled back. "Why would I give up on something that's meant to happen, Mr. Nick?"

"Cute, but I really don't think anything is gonna happen…" he trailed off, thinking of what he was going to say.

"Yes?" Pearl stared at him with curious eyes, expecting him to continue but he didn't. She squealed in excitement. "Oh, my! Have you finally realized that you're in love with Mystic Maya?"

He let out a nervous chuckle. "You know what? You really should be sleeping."

"Of course, Mr. Nick. I'll be happy to go to bed if it means you two will be spending some alone time together." She gave him a satisfied smile. "Good night."

She softly pushed him out of his own bedroom and closed the door. Shaking his head, the lawyer made his way back towards the couch and sat down. Maya had a bit of trouble containing her laughter.

"Well? What'd you tell her?" she asked in between giggles.

"Just asked her why she was playing that _horrible_ song. Told me she wanted to create a romantic setting or something like that."

"That's so Pearly."

"Yeah. Her plan didn't exactly work though."

Maya opened her mouth to say something, but quickly thought better of it. She turned away from him and stared out the window as sheets of rain poured angrily against the glass, showing no signs of relenting. She felt herself being once again pulled into her usual thoughts.

Running a hand though his hair, he hesitantly attempted to start a conversation. "Um, Maya?"

She looked at Phoenix questioningly. The expression on his face was difficult to read, but Maya had a good idea of what he was thinking.

"I don't mean to press or anything, but it seems to me that something's been bothering you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You seem to have a lot on your mind, lately. I'm no psychic, but I sure can tell when something's troubling you and right now you look troubled. If you wanna talk about it…"

_It's now or never_, Maya thought as she nervously spoke, "Y-Yes. Um, there's something that I feel I should really, really tell you…something important."

Raising a brow, he waited for her to continue.

"It's kinda silly," she told him as she began to play with her hands. "You're probably gonna just laugh or something."

Phoenix shook his head at her. "No, not at all. If this is what's been bothering you all this time, you should tell me about it. I promise, I won't laugh."

_No, but I'm pretty sure you'd freak out_, she thought as she tried to calm her racing heart. "I-I just wanted to let you know that these last few years really mean a lot to me and after sis died, I felt so lost, that is, until I met you. I know this sounds weird and all…"

"No, of course not. I feel the same way too."

With a shaky voice, she continued. "We've been through so much together and before I leave…I…" She gently grabbed a hold of his hand, causing him to blush on the inside. "I-I realized that I couldn't leave without first telling you."

"T-Tell me what?" Phoenix felt his heart leap and his breath catch in his throat. He didn't care that he felt so excited. He just wanted her to finish, hoping she could clear up this fog. He had a feeling this was it, but he needed her to confirm it.

_Is she telling me that she…_

"That I…" The words wouldn't leave her lips. _Oh, c'mon Maya, it's just three words…three little words…three tiny, little words that could completely destroy your friendship with this man for all eternity! Oh, man, I don't think I could do this anymore._ "I…"

"Yes?" He anxiously waited for her to finish.

"I-I sleepwalk." She managed to say as she released his hand.

"Huh?" He felt crushed.

"I just found out that I walk in my sleep. Last night, I woke up in the kitchen with a sandwich in my hand and a glass of milk in the other. I thought I should let you know."

He blinked multiple times, trying to comprehend what had just happened. "I-Is that all?"

"Yes."

"You mean that's what's been bothering you this whole time?"

"Yup."

He was trying his best to make eye contact with her, but she made it nearly impossible. He let out an exhausted sigh. "Maya, you're not telling me everything."

"I think the rain has stopped," she said, hoping he would drop the subject._ I guess it's never_, she thought.

Phoenix sighed, looking away. He felt a little disappointed at how their conversation ended. Well, maybe he was wrong after all. Maybe she didn't think of him as anything more than a friend. Not that that matters anyway. It's not like he hoped for something to happen between them, right? Well, maybe he did feel something for her, but he still wasn't sure. He would have to wait to find out. He looked at the girl sitting next to him. Scratching his head, he felt useless. He hated seeing her like this.

Feeling his throat go dry, Phoenix began to cough. "I'm not feeling too well," he said as he coughed some more.

A few seconds had gone by and his coughing had gotten worse, almost as if he were choking or something.

Maya became worried and began to gently rub his upper back. "Nick? What's wrong?"

He just shook his head at her and continued to make strangled noises within his throat. Slowly, he stood up, only to stumble onto the carpet. He began to gasp for air, struggling to take in a few deep breaths. Maya dropped to her knees beside him. She panicked. What was happening to him? "N-Nick? Nick!"

"I…I…can't…breathe…" he managed to say between gasps of air. "Maya…"

"O-Okay, just wait. I'm…gonna…I'm gonna…call an ambulance, okay?" She managed to say as tears began to form in her eyes. She was frightened. Why? Why was this happening? As she was about to stand up and head for the phone, she was stopped. She looked down at Phoenix who took hold of her arm. He was shaking his head. "No…don't…please…I just need…I need…"

"Y-Yes? Nick?"

After a few short seconds, Phoenix's face changed. With his eyebrows raised, he grinned wildly at her before opening his mouth to speak.

"Water, ahem. I need some water," he said as began to laugh like an idiot. Maya stared blankly at him with her mouth wide open. The stunned look on her face made Phoenix laugh even harder. "Haha, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist!"

Laughing like he was, it was so out of character for Phoenix, but he couldn't help it. He suddenly had this urge to mess around, see her reaction, which wasn't exactly good judging by how angry she looked. Maya glared at him after recovering from what happened in the last minute or so.

"That's so not funny, Nick!" Maya didn't appreciate his laughter nor did she enjoy his stupid little joke. "You big jerk!"

Phoenix flinched as he rubbed his left shoulder where Maya had just smacked him. _Ow, she must be really angry! _He thought.

"What in the world did you do that for? I thought you were…you made me worry for nothing! You immature…you…argh!" She rose from the carpet and began to walk away from him. "I'm not talking to you for the next seven hours."

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked as his laughter died down.

"I'm sleeping with Pearly! You can _think_ all by yourself on that stupid couch! Good night!"

Phoenix watched her as she opened the door to his bedroom and closed it with a _slam_. Just then, he heard a small voice coming from inside the room. "What happened, Mystic Maya?"

The lawyer let out a sigh. "I didn't think she'd take it that hard," he said to himself as he sauntered over to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of cold water.

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><p><em>An: Thank you for reading and thank you for those who have reviewed. Hopefully, I can finish chapter 7 and post it up later next week since it'll be Thanksgiving and everything. Have a great weekend, everyone :)_


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